Himanta Sarma’s large-scale solar infrastructure and green energy boost Assam

The Assam government plans to promote such initiatives in several wetlands.

Guwahati:

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday announced plans to strengthen solar infrastructure in the state. Mr Sarma said solar energy was a key sector in India’s quest to become a global green energy powerhouse.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasized on solar power. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Surya Ghar Muft Bijlee Yojna, the central government will provide solar energy for all applicants Panelists are providing subsidies,” Chief Minister Sarma said.

The Assam Chief Minister said that for every 1 kilowatt of solar panels installed, the central government will provide a subsidy of 30,000 rupees, the Assam government will provide an additional subsidy of 15,000 rupees, and the applicant will contribute 5,000 rupees. He added that if scaled up, subsidies would be increased accordingly for 2kW and 3kW installations, making solar energy accessible and affordable to citizens of different income brackets.

Currently, Assam requires 2,200 MW of power to meet household power needs, a challenge the solar scheme aims to address.

In 2017, Assam formulated a solar policy that laid the foundation for a solar revolution in Assam, setting ambitious energy generation targets over a time-bound period. This policy gave rise to the first floating solar power plant in the region, located at Thanagarh village in Morigaon district, with an installed capacity of 10.50 JW.

The Assam government plans to replicate such initiatives in multiple wetlands to leverage Assam’s natural resources to increase power generation capacity.

The inauguration of the region’s largest solar power plant with an installed capacity of 70 MW, located in Amguri town of Sivsagar district, is another milestone.